Stocks to watch Friday: H-P, Gap, Autodesk

WilliamSpain

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — Among the companies whose shares could see active trade in Friday’s session are Hewlett-Packard Co., Gap Inc. and Autodesk Inc.

on Thursday, Hewlett-Packard
HPQ, -1.24%
cut its sales outlook, said it may shed its personal-computer business and announced it would get rid of its webOS operations. The tech giant also confirmed it would buy British business-analytics firm Autonomy Corp. (AU.) for $42.11 a share, or about $10 billion, in cash. Shares slipped 3% in after-hours action.

H-P stuns with PC, M&A plans

(4:38)

H-P, the world's biggest computer maker, is expected to spin off its PC business and also unveils a $10 billion deal to acquire U.K. data-analytics firm Autonomy.

Autodesk
ADSK, -0.34%
popped almost 6% after it posted a 16% jump in quarterly revenue and better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, largely with the aid of demand growth led by the Asia Pacific region.

Also after the bell, Gap
GPS, -2.17%
said that it earned $189 million, or 35 cents a share, in the second quarter, down from $234 million, or 36 cents a share, in the same quarter a year ago. Revenue at the apparel retailer was up 2% percent to $3.39 billion.

Brocade Communications Systems Inc.
BRCD, +0.15%
tripped about 1% after it posted a drop in fiscal third-quarter profit on declining sales that were nonetheless in line with Wall Street expectations.

Barnes & Noble Inc.
BKS, -1.52%
said that Liberty Media took a $204 million stake in the company via the purchase of newly issued convertible stock. The deal gives Liberty control of about 17% of the company’s common stock at a price of $17 per share.

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